Beam-mold clamp



8. D. BUTT ERWORTH Jfily 28, 1925.

BEAM MOLD CLAMP Filed M13714, 1924 r BY Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL n. BUTTERWORTH, or LANsIN MIcHIGAN.

BEAM-MOLD CLAMP.

Application filed July 1,4,

To all whom may concern:

,Be it known that I, SAMUEL D. BUTTER- woR'H- a citizen of the United States resid-- ing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beam- Mold Clamps, of. which the following is a specificatiov This invention relates to means for supporting and clamping a beam mold box, and more particularly directed to a clamp for supporting the sides of said box so as to reinforce the side to withstand the severe side thrust when the concrete is poured.

Very complicated means are now in use for supporting these forms. The forms and the support are generally built up and nailed together by numerous braces which are tightly secured together. When the forms are removed these braces are knocked out and are quite often destroyed to such an extent that they cannot be used again. There is nothing uniform about these braces and when they are knocked down they must be built up entirely again if they are to be used'to support another beam mold in some other part of the building.

The object of my invention is to provide a clamp and support which may be readily and quickly clamped to the form for supporting the same and may be just as readily detached after the concrete has set. My clamp and support when detached is quickly knocked down and may be transported to some other part of the building and quickly put up for supporting other forms.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of my clamp and support showing how the same supports one side of the box trough in which the concrete is poured to'form a concrete beam.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1. I V

Fig. 4c is a vertical sect-ion taken on the line l4c of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is 'a detail of the upper end of the vertical clamp bar showing how the same may be supported on the top edge of the box trough.

a designates a vertical post which is usually a heavy wood post. The upper end of the post is rabbeted .at Z). The bottom 0 of the box trough may be nailed to the upper end of this post. However, before the box trough is laid in place, I secure a cross bar 1924. Serial N0. 725,864.

d to the upper end of the support a., This cross bar is formed of two parallel spaced bars which are secured together at the ends. The spacing blocks 6 correctly spacing the bars and securing devices or rivets fastened through the bars, and the spacing bar. At the center of the cross bar I secure a gusset plate f which is positioned between the spacing bars and riveted or otherwise secured thereto, as at g. The rivet in the support a is of suflicient depth so as to receive one of the bars forming the crossbar and thereby allows the gusset plate f-to lie against the support a, whereupon the nails 1" may be driven through the gusset plate into the support for securing the cross bar to the support. The top of the cross bar is positioned substantially flush with the-top of the post a. After this cross bar has been secured to the post, the box trough for receiving the concrete which is to form the beam maybe set in place. i

A sliding block /L is provided with a projection 2' which is adapted to slide between the two spaced bars, forming the cross bar construction. In the upper part of the block is provided a groove v7' and the clamping loop is looped about the block and' cross bar. One part of said loop is located within the groove j so that it cannot become lost. A. vertical clamping bar m is slidably supported between the spaced cross bars inwardly of the sliding block. To prevent this vertical clamping bar from sliding through the cross bar I provide a pin a which passes through one of the plurality of holes 0 in the vertical clamping bar. This pin will rest on the top of the cross bar, and temporarily support the same. The inner end of the sliding block is grooved as at 9, said groove being inclined to the vertical and a wedge Q is adapted to be slidably supported between the spaced bars, forming the cross bar construction and this groove in the sliding block it. The outer edge of the said wedge is inclined similarly as is the groove 7) while the other edge of the wedge abuts the edge of the clamping bar m. The plates 4' secured to the side. of the wedge are adapted to straddle the vertical clamping bar to guide the wedge with respect to the clamping bar so that the same will be guided 1n edge to edge contact therewith.

After the bottom of the box trough has been placed upon the support, the sides of the box designated 8 may be nailed or other.-

wise secured to the bottom wall of the box. The vertical clamping bar is placed adjacent the outside of the box and a wedge is slipped behind the clamping bar between the clamping bar and sliding block h. The clamping loop k is so positioned that it will engage the bottom edge of the cross bar so that any forces tending totorce the sliding. block outwardly will tend to clamp the block, to the cross bar and trietionally secure the block to the cross bar. A wedge is now driven down which will force. the vertical clamping bar tight against the side of the box trough. The outside edge ot the bottom of the box trough is finished so that it is perfectly true, whereby when the sides of the box trough are secured thereto they will be supported in a true perpendicular line. The forces transmitted by the wedge will be transmitted directly against this finished. surface t, whereby when the vertical clamping bar is tightly wedged against the side of the box there is no possible chance of the sides getting out ofline. To remove the clamp and support, it is necessary merely to knock the wedge upv and remove the clamping bar, which will enable one to knock down the form after the concrete is set.

Fig; 5, showing means whereby the vertical clamping bar may be hung on the side of the box form to be temporarily supported before the wedge is driven,this* means a support may be usedin place of the pin Sometimes the beams are located in the center of. the building so that the concrete floors will stand on both sides of. the beam. In this case it is impossible to use such a fixture at the top of the vertical clamping bar, and the pins 01 are used fortemporarily supporting) the clamping bar before the wedge is driven in.

From the description it will be apparent that. all the parts of my improved beam clamp are. made of cheap standard bar stock or stampings, the clamp can be produced relatively cheaply and forms a durable support and clamp for a beam mold. It holds so well and firmly that it does away with the need of tying the tops of the side walls of the mold together, as is customary.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A fixture for supporting and clamping beam molds on their supports, which com prises a cross member securable to the top of the post which supports the load, and clamping means on the ends of the cross member for supporting the side wall of the mold against lateral thrust, said clamping means including a member which may be driven in for both tightening the clamping memberand bracing the clamping means against the side thrust from the mold.

2. A fixture for supporting and clamping beam molds on their supports, the combinatlon of a cross member which can be removably secured to the top of the support which supports the load'of the mold thereon, and a wedge controlled clamp supported on the end of the cross member for supporting the side walls 01 the mold against side thrust the said wedge aiding in supporting the clamp against the side thrust.

3. A fixture for supporting and clamping beam molds on their supports, the combination of a cross member which may be removably secured to the top of the post for carrying the load of the mold, a block on the end of the cross member engaged to act as a wedge abutment, a clamping bar supported by the cross member, and a wedge that may be driven between the abutment and the clamping bar to make the latter support the side walls of the mold against lateral thrust.

l. A fixture for supporting and clamping beam molds, the combination of a bar acting as a cross member andremovably securable to the top of the post which holds the load of the mold, an adjustable block or slide slidable along the end of the cross bar and fixable in several positions, a vertical bar supported on the cross bar, and a wedge driven between the block and the bar to make the latter support the side walls of the mold against lateral thrust.

5; A fixture for supporting and clamping. beam molds, the combination of a cross bar in the form of a bar of metal strips, and a gusset plate by which the strips may be nailed to the side of the post which supports the load of the mold, an adjustable block slidable along the top of the cross bar at one end and having a projecting portionwhich guides the block between the two cross bars, a vertical clamping bar, passing between the two bars, and a wedge passing between the two bars that may be driven in between the vertical clamping bar and the abutment to support the mold at the side walls against lateral thrust.

6. A fixture for supporting and clamping beam molds", a metal cross bar that may be nailed to the vertical post that supports the load of the mold and which is provided on its under side with notches, a slidable block provided with a loop member which may be engaged in said notches, and said block being arranged to slide along the end of the cross bar, a vertical bar guided through the cross bar, and'a wedge that may be driven between the. vertical bar and the block to support the side walls of the mold against lateral thrust.

7. A fixture for supporting and clamping beam molds on their supports, which comprises a cross member which may be secured to the top o1 the post that supports the load, and separate clamping means on each end of the cross member for supporting the side walls of the mold against lateral thrust, said clamping means including a member which may be driven for both tightening the clamping means and bracing the clamping means against the side thrust.

8. A fixture for supporting and clamping beam molds on their supports, having in combination a cross member which may be secured to the top of the support which supports the load of the mold, an abutment on the end of the support, a clamping bar ver- 10 tically adjustable with respect to the cross member, and a wedge which may be driven between the clamping bar and the abutment.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature.

SAMUEL D. BUTTERWORTH. 

